William J. Bruns, Jr.
July 13, 1935 - September 1, 2022
Harvard Business School Professor Emeritus William John Bruns Jr. passed away on September 1, 2022 of complications of congestive heart failure at his home in Plymouth, MA. Bill earned his degrees in business administration at the University of Redlands and the Harvard Business School. He attained his Ph.D from the University of California at Berkeley. Before joining the HBS faculty, he had previous appointments at Yale University and the University of Washington. At the time of his retirement from Harvard, he held the Henry R. Byers Chair of Business Administration.
Bill was an accomplished teacher and loved by his students. He directed the introductory accounting and control courses taken by all first year HBS graduate students. He also taught extensively in the school’s professional management programs. From 1981 to 1983, he was director of the HBS International Management Program in Vevey, Switzerland. He shared his teaching skills with other faculty through numerous teaching seminars. He met his wife Sharon by calling on her to start an accounting case in one of these seminars. Bill’s prodigious publication record includes ten books and monographs, numerous academic journal articles, and over 200 original cases and teaching materials. He retired from HBS in 2001 but missed teaching. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Northeastern University faculty at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business, teaching undergraduates financial and managerial accounting. During his ten years at NU, he received several nominations for outstanding teacher.
Bill was married to Barbara Dodge for 23 years and they had four sons, Robert, John (Wayland), David and Michael. He was married to his second wife Sharon (Shay) McKinnon for 40 years. In 1999, Bill and Shay adopted Anastasia Catherine Bruns, an 8 year old, from Orphanage No. 3 in Yekaterinburg, Siberia (Russia). In addition to his children and wives, Bill leaves behind five of his childrens’ spouses, Sue Lorimer, Brad Townsend, Cynthia Bruns, Rebecca Bruns and Bryant Wing, and four grandchildren, Sam Bruns, Mariah Bruns, James Bruns, and Jackson Bruns Salani (Wing).
Bill has requested that there be no formal funeral and his family will adhere to these wishes. We will celebrate his life together at a later time. Donations in his name can be made to Heifer International or Doctors Without Borders.
Bill was an accomplished teacher and loved by his students. He directed the introductory accounting and control courses taken by all first year HBS graduate students. He also taught extensively in the school’s professional management programs. From 1981 to 1983, he was director of the HBS International Management Program in Vevey, Switzerland. He shared his teaching skills with other faculty through numerous teaching seminars. He met his wife Sharon by calling on her to start an accounting case in one of these seminars. Bill’s prodigious publication record includes ten books and monographs, numerous academic journal articles, and over 200 original cases and teaching materials. He retired from HBS in 2001 but missed teaching. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Northeastern University faculty at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business, teaching undergraduates financial and managerial accounting. During his ten years at NU, he received several nominations for outstanding teacher.
Bill was married to Barbara Dodge for 23 years and they had four sons, Robert, John (Wayland), David and Michael. He was married to his second wife Sharon (Shay) McKinnon for 40 years. In 1999, Bill and Shay adopted Anastasia Catherine Bruns, an 8 year old, from Orphanage No. 3 in Yekaterinburg, Siberia (Russia). In addition to his children and wives, Bill leaves behind five of his childrens’ spouses, Sue Lorimer, Brad Townsend, Cynthia Bruns, Rebecca Bruns and Bryant Wing, and four grandchildren, Sam Bruns, Mariah Bruns, James Bruns, and Jackson Bruns Salani (Wing).
Bill has requested that there be no formal funeral and his family will adhere to these wishes. We will celebrate his life together at a later time. Donations in his name can be made to Heifer International or Doctors Without Borders.
